Journalist Shigeru Sugawara, who has covered the watch industry for over 30 years, introduces a watch he owns that he has a special attachment to. The watch in question is an IWC pocket watch chronometer. The spectacular view of the hand-wound movement seen through the open case back is a must-see.
Photographs & Text by Shigeru Sugawara
[Article published on January 15, 2025]
An encounter at an antique watch shop in Switzerland
"Are you an omega too?"
When I entered an antique watch shop in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland, home to the Swatch Group, the first thing the owner said was, "Here we go again," with a look on his face. Apparently, when watch enthusiasts visit, the first thing he asks is, "Show me an Omega." Being in Omega's home turf, the shop has a wide selection of vintage watches, making it a must-see for collectors. I've heard that Mr. N, a watch writer known for his collection of historic Omega models, has also visited the shop.
On the way back from the Longines commemorative event
I visited the store on a bitterly cold winter's day in February 2001. I had just finished covering an event at Longines' headquarters in Saint-Imier and was strolling around town before heading home. The event at Longines' headquarters celebrated the 30 millionth watch produced since the first Longines-branded watch was made, and the commemorative model, the Longines L.990, was being unveiled prior to the Basel Fair in March. Participants included Tokei Begin and Shogakukan's Tokei Mook magazine, which I edit, from Japan, as well as many visitors from China and Hong Kong. Chinese was ubiquitous, and I was a little surprised to see the Swiss staff speaking fluent Chinese. Apparently, some Chinese celebrities were also in attendance.
Cal.L.990
There was one more surprise. After the event, when I revisited the museum, a Longines staff member brought out a 1980s Conquest equipped with the Caliber L.990 and said, "Take it if you like. I have several, so I'll give you one..." What a kindness! I still have it, of course. And one more. This Caliber L.990 is a masterpiece from the late 1970s that set the world record for the thinnest automatic movement with a center second and date display. It was passed on from Longines to Nouvelle Lemania (now Breguet) in the 1980s, and it's interesting to note that its lineage continues to this day (watch-savvy readers will know this).
It was a rare IWC pocket chronometer.
Longines aside, let's get back to the main topic. This is roughly how things went at the antique watch shop in Bienne.
"What else would you recommend besides Omega?"
"Customer, are you interested in a pocket watch?"
Then the owner brought out a few on a tray from the back.
"They're all in good condition."
Of the several items on display, the one that caught my eye was an IWC chronometer.
"But it's a proper gold watch, and it looks expensive."
I think the shopkeeper said it was 1500 Swiss francs. It was cheaper than I expected. I checked the exchange rate of the Swiss franc at the time, and it was 64 yen in 2000 and 72 yen in 2001, the year of this story, so it's less than half what it is now. I was so surprised at how strong the yen was that I wanted to scream, "No way!", but if you convert it that way, the price would be just over 10 yen. I believe it was in excellent condition, made of 14K yellow gold, and had been maintained, so 1500 Swiss francs must be a bargain.
The gold watch I bargained for became a drinking snack
Are these pocket watches for sale?
"Yes, sir, that's the point. Omega watches sell well, but pocket watches don't."
"Can you get out of the way?"
I thought I'd try to negotiate the price. In the end, I managed to get a 3% discount, and I was able to get this IWC pocket watch chronometer for about 7 yen. The cameraman, who was watching my exchange with the shop owner, also purchased a deadstock Heuer stopwatch for about 1 yen, and was delighted, saying, "I got a great souvenir." After returning home, I looked online, but I couldn't find the same model. The shop owner told me it was probably from the 1930s, a rare piece with the word "chronometer" written on the dial. I had my doubts about its authenticity, but I decided to go with it. I occasionally opened the case back to admire the vintage movement while drinking beer, and it was a fun watch to have as a snack.
Accidentally dropping and breaking treasure
But one day, tragedy struck. I was watching a TV program featuring the famous IWC story, "Szpilman's Watch." I hadn't seen my pocket watch in ages and was admiring it, thinking, "This is a treasure, too," when it slipped from my palm and fell to the floor. Unfortunately, the glass shattered, and the fragments even left a small scratch on part of the dial. When I asked Richemont Japan to repair it and inspect the movement, I received the cold response that "it cannot be handled in Japan and will have to be sent to Switzerland." While having a professional repair shop would have been an option, I ultimately decided to send it back to Schaffhausen. This reminded me of the pocket watches I had seen lined up at the IWC headquarters workshop and at the Museum of Modern Art, which I had visited many times. I recall it taking nearly six months from the time I requested the repair to the time it was returned. Needless to say, I was charged a considerable repair fee for having it sent back to my home country.
I guess I got punished for not being careful enough with it, like using it as a drinking snack. Since then, I've been treating it with care. I still don't use it as a daily practical watch, but I sometimes take it out and look at it, basking in the self-satisfied pleasure of thinking, "I really do love watches!" A watch that makes me feel this way is nothing less than a "treasure."
Shigeru Sugawara's profile
Born in 1954. Watch journalist. In the 1980s, he covered France and Italy for fashion and jewelry magazines. Since the 1990s, he has focused on watches, covering the annual watch fair held in Switzerland for over 25 years. He has written and published numerous articles for watch magazines such as Chronos Japan and general magazines. In his free time, he enjoys running and mountain climbing.
